Ragamala Music and Dance Theater
United Arts Grant Recipient 2004-2005

Sethu (Bridge)
"Sethu spectacle lights up sculpture garden's nights"
~ Rohan Preston, Minneapolis Star Tribune

The premiere of Sethu in September of 2004 drew an audience of close to 6,000 to the Walker Art Center's Minneapolis Sculpture Garden. Presented at dusk, illuminated by the glow of torches, the outdoor setting recalled the traditional milieu of the Kecak form - a performance presented on an open-air stage, in which the community gathers to watch a presentation of the Ramayana.

Sethu (Bridge) is a pioneering global collaborative work that combines South Indian Bharatanatyam dance and Kecak, the powerful vocal tradition of Bali, to create a stunning presentation of the Indian epic Ramayana. Ragamala Artistic Director/Choreographer Ranee Ramaswamy joins forces with Kecak composer/choreographer I Dewa Puta Berata, Artistic Director of the Bali-based Cudamani ensemble, to create this unique cross-cultural collaboration.

Please visit Ragamala Music and Dance Theater at www.ragamala.net for more information.

Sethu features Ragamala principal dancer/choreographer Aparna Ramaswamy and 5 Ragamala dancers, a Carnatic (South Indian classical) music ensemble led by acclaimed vocalist Nirmala Rajasekar, a gamelan orchestra, and a locally recruited Kecak chorus trained and led by Mr. Dewa.

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